Monitoring patient oral health with TRIOS®

Copenhagen, February 25, 2016 – TRIOS, 3Shape’s intraoral scanner, will soon be used by dentists to do much more than just replace analog impression-taking. A new tool in the TRIOS intraoral scanner’s software called Digital Patient Monitoring (DPM) will enable doctors to monitor patient oral health ongoing.

Digital Patient Monitoring allows doctors to use the TRIOS digital color impressions to systematically monitor treatment and oral health over time.

DPM (Digital Patient Monitoring) compares TRIOS scans taken over time. Tracking and quantifying, i.e., gingival retraction, bruxism and teeth movement, and highlighting changes to the mouth that may require action on the computer screen. The Digital Patient Monitoring tool will be available as part of the TRIOS workflow.

The Digital Patient Monitoring tool was introduced today at Midwinter in Chicago by 3Shape. DPM will be available as a TRIOS software update later in the year.

Already today, doctors are using TRIOS digital color impressions to track oral health, such as lesions, staining and decay. Doctors find that TRIOS unique features like digital color impressions, shade measurement, HD photos and its documented-accuracy make the intraoral scanner ideal for monitoring the oral situation.

“Basically, I see us using TRIOS on not just any patient, but EVERY patient. I definitely see the scanning of each patient becoming a part of our routine,” says Dr. Jonathan L. Ferencz, prosthodontist, NYC Prosthodontics, New York.

Using DPM, doctors can show patients discoloration, tooth movement and trouble spots while they still sit in the chair. Involving the patient in any treatment proposals that are in turn, supported by the digital color impressions.

“The best patient is an educated patient. If I scan them, says Dr. Ferencz, I can take that lateral incisor and say, notice that from the labial your tooth is perfect. But if I flip it (on the TRIOS touch-screen monitor) look at what I see that you cannot see. The TRIOS scan shows a crack.

The patient asks me, what should I do? I say let’s schedule a crown and boom! The patient schedules because it is such a convincing demonstration,” says Dr. Ferencz.

The idea of using intraoral scans to monitor a patient’s oral health is completely new to dentistry. Likewise, empowering patients in treatment decision-making is a change as well. But as transparency becomes an established practice in the business world, it could be beneficial for today’s doctors as well. Especially in lieu of the wealth of medical information readily available to patients online.

“Dental practices are businesses too, and as such, building customer trust is essential. We are very excited to see this evolution in dentistry where digital technology is not only being used to replace analog workflows but as way of monitoring and actively involving the patient in their own care,” says Flemming Thorup, president and CEO at 3Shape.